 
    
  Our History
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         1892 1892  Robert L. Patten opens a general store in Lakeland, GeorgiaPatten Seed Company began with Robert L. Patten, a school teacher who opened a general store in Lakeland, Georgia, circa 1892. In the heart of downtown Lakeland, the store offered not only seed and fertilizer, but everything from horse collars to caskets. Robert’s only son, Lawson, took over his father’s store but continued to dabble in other agricultural side projects, including a seed-cleaning plant that has been in use since 1946. 
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        1946Lawson Patten builds his seed-cleaning plant
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        1947Bill Roquemore, WWII bomber pilot, joins the Patten family and begins to expand the businessLawson had three children, one of them a daughter who married Bill Roquemore. Previously a World War II bomber pilot, Bill became involved in the Patten family’s business and was the entrepreneur, visionary, and “people person” who catapulted Patten Seed into the successful family business it is today.
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        1954  Patten is the first to market Centipede grass seed, trademarked as Centi-Seed
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        1954  Patten Seed Company is incorporated
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        1958Patten Seed becomes the major grower and supplier of improved turf type Bermuda grassesBeginning in 1958 Patten Seed became the major grower and supplier of improved turf type Bermuda grasses to golf courses, athletic fields and lawn areas in the warm season areas of the world.
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         1965 1965Sod introducedThe primary products of Patten Seed were originally Centi-Seed and Bermudagrass sprigs, though the company did supply sod on a smaller scale beginning in 1965. Due to urban growth, the demand for sod began to rise in the late 1960s. 
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        1965Canongate group of private golf clubs beginsBeginning in 1965 Bill Roquemore and Patten Seed began building and operating the Canongate group of private golf clubs in the Atlanta area. The company sold the group in 2004. At the time it included 10 golf courses and 8,400 members.
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        1971Ben Copeland, Sr., joins Patten Seed - beginning the Copeland & Roquemore family partnership
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        1975Jim Roquemore begins working full timeJim Roquemore began working full time for the company in 1975 after spending summers working part time through high school and college.
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        1980  Super-Sod brand is introduced to market sod in expanding urban marketsSod became the company's primary product, signaling the creation of the Super-Sod brand
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        1980Expansion into South CarolinaOur sod farm in Orangeburg was established this year.
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        1984The first Super-Sod retail store opens in Atlanta
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        1994Ben Copeland, Jr joins Patten Seed Company full timeBen graduated with a degree in Horticulture from UGA. He is now company CEO and has overseen rapid expansion and adaption of cutting-edge farming and administration technology.
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        1996North Carolina expansion beginsNorth Carolina expansion begins
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         2012 2012Soil3 Organic Humus Compost introduced for better gardens and Lifetime LawnsBen Copeland, Jr., began developing a humus compost for use in the sod fields that lacked sufficient organic matter. The wild success of this organic compost led to the 2012 introduction of the Soil3 brand. Cubic yard BigYellowBags of the soil are now helping to improve lawns and gardens across the Southeast. 
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        2015  TifTuf introduced to the product lineupSuper-Sod is one of the first to sell TifTuf drought-tolerant Bermudagrass, an industry game changer.
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        2021Expansion into TennesseePurchased Mid Tenn Turf and opened stores in Nashville and Knoxville.
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        2022Expansion into AlabamaPurchased Frog Pond Turf and opened a store in Birmingham.
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        2023Headquarters moves to Charleston, SC“Charleston is central to our current footprint throughout the southeastern United States. As we continue to grow, it was important to centralize the senior management team and take advantage of a robust hiring market. Vibrant companies need vibrant cities.” - CEO Ben Copeland Jr.
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         Today TodayFamily & Employee owned and operatedToday the Roquemores and Copelands run the privately held, family and employee-owned business of Patten Seed Company and its subsidiary Super-Sod. Under this leadership, the product offerings have expanded along with the number of stores across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and The Carolinas. 

 
     
              